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Cleavant Derricks | |
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| Born | Cleavant Derricks Jr. May 15, 1953 Knoxville, Tennessee, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Parent |
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| Relatives | Clinton Derricks-Carroll (twin brother) |
Cleavant Derricks Jr. (born May 15, 1953) is an American stage and screen actor and Tony Award winning singer-songwriter, who may be best known for his role of Rembrandt Brown on Sliders .
Derricks was born in Knoxville, Tennessee to a pianist mother Cecile G. and Baptist preacher/composer Cleavant Derricks Sr., famous for his popular gospel music hymn Just a Little Talk with Jesus. [1] [2] His twin brother is actor and musician Clinton Derricks-Carroll. Derricks began his career as a Nashville gospel songwriter. With his father, he wrote the gospel album Satisfaction Guaranteed. He was the musical director and composer for the musical When Hell Freezes Over I'll Skate.
Derricks went to New York City to study acting with Vinnette Carroll at the Urban Arts Theatre. He received rave reviews for his performance in his Broadway shows, including But Never Jam Today and the 1977 revival of Hair . He also won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, for creating the role of James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls . Off-Broadway he was in the William Finn musical Romance in Hard Times in 1989. [3] He also starred in the Broadway musical Brooklyn as the Streetsinger.
Soon afterwards, Derricks appeared in films such as Moscow on the Hudson , Neil Simon's The Slugger's Wife and Wes Craven's Carnival of Souls. He was a series regular on the short-lived television series Thea with Thea Vidale and Brandy, and Good Sports with Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal. His role as Rembrandt Brown on Sliders with Jerry O'Connell, Sabrina Lloyd and John Rhys-Davies was the only Sliders character to appear throughout the entire series. In addition, Derricks has had numerous guest-starring roles in series such as Roseanne , A Different World , Miami Vice , Spenser: For Hire , Charmed , and many others.
In 2019, Derricks took over the role of the Wizard of Oz in the 2nd U.S. tour of Wicked . [4] He reprised the role in 2022 on Broadway. [5] In summer 2024, he’ll star as Joe in Waitress at Ogunquit Playhouse. [6]
Tamyra Monica Gray is an American actress, singer and songwriter, who finished fourth place on the first season of the musical reality competition American Idol in 2002. Post American Idol, Gray has begun acting on Broadway and television. She had a recurring role on the third season of the drama series Boston Public in early 2003.
Brooklyn the Musical is a musical with a book, lyrics, and music by Mark Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson. It was acquired for licensing by Broadway Licensing
Randolph Clarke Harrison is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Justin Taylor on the Showtime drama Queer as Folk.
Reverend Cleavant Derricks was a pastor and choir director at a number of black Baptist churches.
William Edward Hickey was an American actor. He is best known for his Academy Award-nominated role as Don Corrado Prizzi in the John Huston film Prizzi's Honor (1985), as well as Uncle Lewis in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) and the voice of Dr. Finkelstein in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
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Clifton Duncan Davis is an American actor, singer, songwriter, minister, and author.
Clinton Derricks-Carroll is an American actor and musician who is best known for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), Wally Brown (1979) and Sanford (1980-1981).
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Dreamgirls is a 2006 American musical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name, Dreamgirls is a film à clef, a work of fiction taking strong inspiration from the history of the Motown record label and its superstar act, The Supremes. The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit girl group known as "The Dreams" and their manipulative record executive.
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This page lists only acting roles and other projects undertaken in film, television and theater in the post-Idol career of American Idol contestants. It does not include guest musical performances or interviews on TV shows, or any pre-Idol work. It is also not intended to be a comprehensive list of all acting roles, appearances, awards nominated or won by any particular alum. Where there are multiple entries, only the more significant may be listed. Please see the appropriate links and references for individual alum for such more complete lists.
Ogunquit Playhouse is a regional theater on 10 Main Street in Ogunquit, Maine. Ogunquit Playhouse is one of the last remaining summer theaters from the Summer Stock which still produces musical theatre. The Playhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Level of Significance "in consideration of the significant contributions made by its founder Walter J. Hartwig and the Playhouse to Performing Arts Education throughout the nation."
David Benoit is an American actor and singer most known for being a replacement in the original Broadway run of Les Miserables. His most recent Broadway credit is playing the Bishop and Spider in the Broadway revival of Jekyll & Hyde.
Desiree "Desi" Oakley,, is an American singer and actress, known for her work in musical theatre. She has performed in shows such as Waitress, Chicago, and Wicked.
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